News

House of Lords reception

On Wednesday 8 February 2006, Baroness Helena Kennedy QC hosted a reception at the House of Lords to highlight the work that the Every Child a Reader initiative is delivering in schools across the country.

Baroness Kennedy is a Trustee of the KPMG Foundation, one of Every Child A Reader’s funding partners. Speaking at the event, she recounted the impact of becoming a reader on her own aspirations and life chances, as a child of parents who had not themselves benefited from educational opportunities.

The Rt. Hon Ruth Kelly MP, Secretary of State for Education and Skills, spoke about the importance of providing one-to-one tuition for children, and of the Every Child A Reader initiative: “I can’t think of a more symbolic programme which allows individuals to make a success of themselves. Every day I see how education can transform lives – as long as individuals have the basic literacy and numeracy skills.”

Jim O’Neill, Head of Global Economic Research at Goldman Sachs, spoke about the importance of good literacy skills to the business sector.

Jean Gross, Director of Every Child A Reader, showed some of the early evidence of the impact that the programme is having on children’s life chances.

The event was attended by representatives from schools, business and charitable organisations. Amongst those there were former Schools’ Minister Stephen Twigg, Barry Sheerman MP, Chair of the all-party Education Select Committee, Professor Rod Morgan , Chair of the Youth Justice Board, Neil McLelland OBE , Director of the National Literacy Trust, Paul Wagstaff, Director of the Primary National Strategy, and Sue Hackman, Chief Adviser on School Standards at the Department for Education and Skills.